The first thing I did as a child was draw. I wanted to make

Listen well, O seekers of wisdom, for in the words of Damien Chazelle lies a reflection on the power of dreams, childhood influences, and the spark of creation. He speaks thus: “The first thing I did as a child was draw. I wanted to make animated movies. I think Disney's 'Cinderella' was the first movie I ever saw. 'Peter Pan' was the first movie I ever saw in the movie theater. I grew up with 'Dumbo' and 'Pinocchio' and 'Sword in the Stone.' Those were the movies I wanted to make.” In these words, Chazelle reflects on the formative experiences of his youth, which shaped his passion and his vision. Like many great artists, his dreams were not born in isolation, but in the influences of the world around him, in the stories that captivated his imagination and set the course for his life’s work.

In the ancient world, stories were the very fabric of life—woven into the fabric of society, passed down through generations, and shared by the firesides of the homes. The Greek myths, the epic tales of heroes, and the poems of Homer were the first animated creations of their kind—stories told not on a screen, but through words and gestures. Chazelle’s early inspirations, the animated films of Disney, were the modern-day equivalent of these ancient stories, conveying lessons, dreams, and visions of possibilities to those who were still young, still learning about the world. Movies, like the ancient stories, have the power to shape our world, to inspire, and to make us dream of things greater than ourselves.

Let us look to Plato, the great philosopher who, in his work The Republic, spoke of the power of storytelling to shape the soul. He believed that the stories we hear, the myths we grow up with, mold our values, our imagination, and our very understanding of what is possible. Chazelle, in his recounting of the movies he loved as a child, echoes this idea. The animated films of Disney, like Cinderella and Pinocchio, were not merely sources of entertainment for him—they were tools of inspiration that sparked the fire of creativity in his heart. They were the foundation upon which his dreams were built, and they opened his eyes to the possibility of creation, of shaping worlds with his own hands.

Consider the tale of Leonardo da Vinci, the polymath who sought to understand everything—from art to engineering, from anatomy to the laws of nature. Da Vinci’s passion was sparked at a young age, and it was the stories of great inventors and artists that guided him toward his own path of creation. Just as Chazelle’s inspiration came from the films of his youth, Da Vinci’s came from the works of great minds and the wonders he saw in the world around him. The connection between dreams and reality is clear: greatness is born from the sparks of imagination, from the early influences that stir within us and push us toward what seems impossible.

What is most striking in Chazelle’s words is the simplicity with which he acknowledges the importance of his childhood experiences. He does not speak of lofty ideals or grand ambitions, but of simple moments—drawing, watching movies, feeling the magic of stories like Peter Pan and Dumbo. These moments shaped him, not as a child seeking fame, but as a young person who was captivated by the wonder of creation. Chazelle’s statement reminds us all that great dreams are not born from ambition alone, but from simple joys, from the childlike wonder that allows us to see the world as something to be molded, something to be shaped by our hands, our hearts, and our minds.

In this, there is a profound lesson for all of us: Never underestimate the power of your early inspirations. The stories, the images, the songs that moved you as a child are not mere fleeting experiences. They are the seeds of your own creative power, the first whispers of your true calling. Just as Chazelle found inspiration in the animated films of his youth, so too can we all trace the roots of our own creative endeavors back to those early moments—those things that made our hearts race with wonder. It is important to nurture those sparks, for they have the potential to grow into something far greater.

So, young ones, take this truth to heart: Pay attention to the stories that captivate you, the ones that stir your imagination, for they are the key to your own greatness. Whether it is through drawing, writing, dancing, or dreaming, the path to creation begins in the heart of the child, and in the stories that awaken us. Nurture your dreams, even the smallest ones, for they carry the power to shape your future and to create worlds of your own. Like Chazelle, you may one day look back and see that the films, the books, the songs you loved as a child are not just memories—they are the blueprints for your own creations.